Whisky Truly is the Water of Life – Hot Toddy time! | Blog #70

So after several years of no doubt dodging many cold. flu and beastie bullets I finally succumbed to a Spring bug. Despite plying myself and my wife with oil of oregano, pro-biotics and many other good for you substances this particular bug was hitting us and hitting us hard.

Devoid of normal olfactory senses and those of my little buds as well who had all given up and were in hiding till it was all over I turned to one amazingly comforting and helpful drink.

The Hot Toddy…

Now there are absolutely a limitless number of concoctions that can be made and I have tried some amazingly delicious Toddy’s in the past that I had just because it was yummy with no need for any affliction to instigate the warm and soothing cocktail.

Here are a few variations that have been my best friends over the past few weeks:

The Manhattan Toddy

-1 teaspoon of Manuka Honey – Manuka Honey taken from bees that feed on tee tree blossoms is reported to have antibacterial qualities as well as being deliciously earthy with a heathery floral character.

-Juice from half a fresh lemon

-One ounce of Red Vermouth

-One ounce of any Rye or Bourbon that takes your fancy. My tendency was to go Rye as the warming spice was just the ticket. For this version I used Stalk and Barrel from Still Waters Distillery.

A dashe of Bitters or Fernet-Vallet which was used for this version. This aromatic bitter liqueur from Mexico is amazing and comparable with it’s more famous French cousin.

Pour hot water onto the honey and lemon and mix well then add the vermouth and whiskey of choice.

Get in a comfy chair snuggled up in your bath robe and then just relax as the steaming cup of goodness does its work.

For the sake of this blog I’m going to take one for the team and mix up the above mentioned Toddy and do some proper tasting notes 🙂

Tasted in a hand made pottery mug from Barbados – If you are sick its nice to think about warm places, sunshine and crystal blue water.

Nose: Takes a little while but the warming vapour gives up a plethora of earthy sweet cinnamon and clove spices, some citrus does come through along with a herbal almost medicinal aroma. I can almost feel it warming me up already.

Palate: Bitter herbaceous notes wrapped warmly with earthy honey and lemon with a soft backbone of 100% Canadian Rye spice.

Finish: The Fernet really lingers on the finish and you can absolutely feel it all the way down to a tingly warm tummy. Pausing between sips allows a little lemon to finally break through as the last fleeting flavor.

This is a delicious remedy with just the right amount of counterbalancing flavors in the sweet earthy Manuka honey and the herbaceous Fernet wrapped around soft spicy Rye with a citrus twist. If this doesn’t warm you up then nothing will.

For another take that I slotted in every 2nd or 3rd Toddy (not on the same day)

The Scotch Benny Toddy

-1 teaspoon of Manuka Honey (these ingredients are vital if you are actually under the weather)

One ounce of whatever Malt you have kicking around in your cupboard – I chose a nice Highland with its floral and honey character as the perfect combo. Why not go Islay and really give your cold some grief.

Open up your whisky/ey cabinet and play around with combos as much as you like. Really the honey and lemon with hot water and any type of whisky is a winner.

Hope most of you avoided any of the Spring time bugs and are rearing to go for what I know is going to be an amazing Summer.